Chapter 7 – My Concern
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If it's you, then it's me.

[ BG MUSIC ]

     Jimin was already waiting by the door outside the dorm entrance when Taehyung arrived. He met the boy's eyes and without the need for words, slipped his fingers around his wrist and lead him inside, inserting the key into their dorm room and locking it after they entered. There was still no words even after the two had showered and changed into more comfortable clothes. Taehyung was lying on his back with his head resting on his arm when Jimin exited the bathroom, flipping his hair as he wiped it dry with a towel. Taehyung opened his eyes and silently stared at him, gulping as thumping began to take over all his senses. Even as Jimin continued drying his hair while walking to his bed and sitting down, Taehyung's eyes were stuck to him. He was only able to pull them away when Jimin looked back at him. 

"Taehyung-ah..." 

Hiding his face behind his sleeve awkwardly, Taehyung felt his heart melt at the way Jimin said his name. "Mm?"

"Can I...sleep with you tonight?" 

The orange-haired let out an 'eo' sound eventually, shuffling across for Jimin to slip in under the covers beside him. The boy his side to face Taehyung, snuggling in to bury his head in the younger's chest as if he was desperate for heat. Despite the overwhelming hotness Taehyung felt rise to his cheeks and forehead, he managed to keep his voice neutral. 

"So...why didn't you go home?" 

Jimin shook his head, wrapping an arm around Taehyung's waist with shut eyes. 

"Just....hug me." He murmured. Taehyung saw the fragility across his hyung's face and didn't hesitate to do as asked. He leaned in and pulled Jimin closer, letting the elder's head be by his neck. He loved the feeling of Jimin's breath brushing onto his skin, and he assumed the elder liked it when he breathed by his ear too; he'd caught him smiling before in previous encounters. 

After a few moments, the younger looked down. "Are you...scared?" 

Jimin shook his head, slightly more frantic this time. 

But you're trembling...Taehyung gave up on making Jimin admit to obvious things he didn't want to. He planted a kiss on his hyung's forehead, his lips touching the raven fuzzy hair as Jimin was asleep. His face when he was asleep was so precious that Taehyung just wanted to hold him forever. 

     Jimin's eyes opened slowly as he woke up after a full ten hours of sleep. Looking in front of him, he registered Taehyung's body that was now facing the other side. Smiling, he felt cheeky and started giving the orange-haired a massage on his back, 'gently' massaging him with his fists and palms. Giggling playfully, he shuffled in closer and lifted up Taehyung's shirt when his face suddenly changed to complete horror. He pulled his eyes away immediately before looking at the sight again, a clutching in his heart making him feel thudding pain. The slashes...the dried up wounds and the scars... 

The whip post...

Jimin quickly turned over when Taehyung suddendly shuffled as he woke up. He covered his mouth as to not let out anything he shouldn't. 

Taehyung fluttered his eyes open and adjusted to the slight light peeking in. He tilted his head back and greeted a 'good morning' even though he wasn't sure if Jimin was awake or not. The dark-haired decided to play dumb and fake sleep. 

     By evening most students had already returned to finish homework due the next day, and because most family celebrations didn't go as planned due to the massive rain that afternoon. Rap Monster had called all of the members to his dorm room where they worked on music rather than a group assignment, and by ten o'clock they were too lazy to do any work so they put on a movie. It was one they hadn't seen before. 

Jin, Jeongkook and Jimin sat on the long couch together, Rap Monster and Taehyung shared the smaller one while Suga and J-Hope took comfort sitting on the floor. 

The movie began: a little boy and his two parents were stuck in a car that was on the brink of exploding into flames. It was obvious they were going to survive though since this was just the first five minutes, so all the members just watched with plain expressions. It was surprising that wasn't the . The was actually the point in the movie where the parents were unexpectedly killed by a crazy man who burst into a supermarket with a gun. The boy was left alone as an orphan, and he was sent to an orphanage to be put up for adoption. It wasn't until then did other sounds in the room finally register in Taehyung's ears. He pulled his eyes away from the screen and saw Jimin hop up from his seat with a hand over his mouth, and watched with a surprised glance as Jimin left the group and shut himself in the bathroom with a loud thud. Jeongkook immediately got up from his seat and followed him in. Taehyung glanced briefly around at the other members' faces and saw slight guilt flash over their eyes. Jin ran his palm over his face with a light groan of frustration. 

"Who the hell picked this movie..." Suga grumbled softly so the two in the bathroom wouldn't hear. 

"Sorry, that'd be me." J-Hope raised his hand, earning a light punch from his hyung. Taehyung sat up from his seat when Rap Monster's hand held him down. He turned his head to look at the leader who gave him a firm yet comforting look. "Just leave them, he'll be fine." 

Taehyung listened before getting up from his seat again; Rap Monster didn't stop him this time. The orange-haired made his way to the bathroom door and stood outside, leaning his head in close so that he could hear what was going on. But the only sounds from inside where Jimin's sobs and Jeongkook's soft murmurs, trying to calm him down. Taehyung assumed that Jeongkook had his arms tightly around Jimin, and the crying boy probably hugged him back too. But no matter what, Taehyung wanted to know why Jimin reacted like he did from just watching the movie. Bringing a hand to the left side of his chest, Taehyung glanced down as he sunk into thought, connecting to his emotions that ran through him as fast as his blood did. Since when did he start feeling for someone else? Since when did someone else's emotions affect him too? The questions were deep and yet they brang a light smile to Taehyung's face; he enjoyed knowing that he was now more connected to the outside world than ever, because of a boy named Park Jimin.